Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Trust Women Week and the San Francisco Banner Project

The majority
of Americans believe that women should have access to basic health care
services and that decisions about reproductive health care including family
planning and abortion should be left to each person.But in 2011, extremist politicians elected with
a mandate to fix the current economic crisis instead chose to divert the
public's attention with policy battles about these private decisions. They have
declared a “War on Women.”The U.S.
House of Representatives and state legislatures have particularly focused on
eliminating access to basic health care services and contraception as well as
abortion, with severe consequences for the most vulnerable.

Banners on Market Streetin San Franciscoaim to spark conversations and to help build
momentum and solidarity among supporters of women’s rights, equality and autonomy
and access to comprehensive health care, including reproductive health care
services. see photos:

During Trust
Women Week, January 20-27, we will engage the public in a Virtual March, with
MoveOn, to express their support online for reproductive health, rights and
justice.

The Trust
Women/Silver Ribbon Campaign is a coalition of 42 national and local
organizations. We include the groups represented on the banners: the Bay Area
Coalition for Our Reproductive Rights (BACORR), Catholics for Choice, NARAL-ProChoice
California, Planned Parenthood Shasta Pacific, and SisterSong/Trust Black Women[SY1].

The main
banner messages are:

·Her
Decision, Her Health

Most women spend about 30 years trying not to
become pregnant and only two years trying to become pregnant.Whether and when to have a child is a
personal decision that every individual has the right to make.A healthy pregnancy is more likely for women
who have access to basic health care services.

·U.S.
Out of My Uterus

In 2011,
a record numbers of bills were introduced or passed by state legislatures and
the U.S. House of representatives restricting women's access to: basic health
care services, family planning, and safe abortion care.It has been called a "War on Women,"
Many women are shocked and dismayed by these attacks and want to send a strong
message to policy-makers: Government should stay out of making decisions about
what happens in my womb. I have self-determination, autonomy.

·Fix
the Economy, Support My Autonomy

Many people are suffering due to the downturn
in the economy, and are looking to our elected officials for real solutions. Too
many policy-makers focus on whipping up divisions on social issues(such as restricting
women’s rights) instead of creating jobs. Government has an important role in
supporting and assuring the conditions for a healthy life. In these hard
economic times, women's ability to conduct productive, independent lives depends
on government support for fixing the economy, and providing the education needed
to secure rewarding jobs and affordable health care, including reproductive
health care.

·Reproductive
Rights are Human Rights

If women do not have the ability to decide
what goes on in their bodies, then they are second class citizens.Human rights describe the obligations of
governments to create the conditions for all people to be as healthy as
possible.This includes respecting
individual rights about our reproductive health and assuring access to
affordable and comprehensive reproductive health care services.

San Francisco is Pro-Choice

The majority of
this country supports reproductive rights and feels that the decision about
abortion should be left to the individual.

Partner banners:

Catholics for Choice

Legal Abortion is a
Human Right: United Nations - BACORR

Freedom, Privacy,
Choice - NARAL California

San Francisco Supports Planned Parenthood Shasta/Pacific

We Trust Black Women,
Do You? - Sistersong

for background on women's reproductive health and on reproductive justice, see: